Apparatus for arranging articles on conveyers



J. M. PATON APPARATUS FOR ARRANGING ARTICLES ON CONVEYERS 2SheetsI-Sheet 1 Jimszziar fa/7755171 222717 3r JMMZE ll'l' IIII I IIII'March 28, 1950 Filed July 28, 1948 IMP I! I ll March 28, 1950 2,501,961

APPARATUS FOR ARRANGING ARTICLES ON CONVEYERS 1.1. M. PATON 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1948 ll lllIL-I IIIII llll JamwHPaiazz.

Patented Mar. 28, 1950 APPARATUS FOR ARRANGING ARTICLES ON CONVEYERSJames M. Paton, Fort Williams, Ontario, Canadav Application July 28,1948', Serial No. 41,136 In Canada June 8, 1948 3 Claims. I a

The invention relates to conveyors of the endless-carrier type forcarrying crosswise of the carrier. elongated, approximately straightarticles such as logs or lumber, and is concerned with apparatus forautomatically arranging the articles in uniform crosswise: positionv onthe conveyor.

Conveyors for elongated articles usually consist of parallel spacedapart endless chains each having a row of upward projecting members,called dogs, for engaging the articles and propelling them sidewaysalong the conveyor. Each projecting memberin one chain is alignedtransversely of the conveyor with a projecting member in the otherchain, and each article is intended to lie at right angles to thedirection of conveyance in front of a pair of transversely alignedprojecting members. When an article is conveyed by transversely alignedprojecting members, it is discharged in an orderly manner suitable forpiling or feeding to a machine such as a saw. However, it often happensthat an article becomes improperly located on the conveyor in front ofone projecting member of one pair and the projecting member of the nextleading pair on the opposite side of the endless carrier and, whendischarged, the article is not in a proper position for piling orfeeding to a machine.

According to the invention, apparatus is provided for automaticallycorrecting the position of an article which is improperly located on theconveyor in the manner described by clearing the article from theleading projecting member so that the article will be engaged by a pairof transversely aligned projecting members. This apparatus comprises apair of transversely aligned levers mounted one beside each of the rowsof projecting members, resilient means normally holding the levers inupright position in the path of the articles propelled by the projectingmembers but adapted to allow the levers to pivot to positions below theprojecting members when under the weight of an article, means inconnection with each lever adaptedto lock the other lever after a givenpivotal movement in the direction of travel of the conveyor in aposition in which the other lever constitutes a skidway for clearing thearticle from a projecting member of the row beside said other lever, andmeans for releasing the locking means acting on one lever when the otherlever is pivoted through said given degree.

The invention will be further described by reference to the attacheddrawings which illustrate an embodiment of it, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of a horizontal type logconveyor fitted with apparatus according to the invention,

Figure 2' is a plan view showing the interlocking rods used in theapparatus according to the invention,

Figure 3 is a side view of the conveyor shown inv Figure 1', and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

In the drawings, the conveyor shown is a horizontal type, double chain,log conveyor with log propelling dogs H3 inserted in each chain. ll andI2. The chains H and !2 are endless and driven along. tracks l3 and I4which are supported by a conveyor framework l5. As shown in Figure l, 1

each dog IEI in chain I I moves in transverse alignment with a dog ll]in chain I2. A log I6 is shown being carried by the chains II and I 2 infront of one dog ll] of one transversely aligned pair and a dog ll] ofthe next leading pair of transversely aligned dogs In, and another logI! is shown being properly conveyed with its ends in front of a pair oftransversely aligned dogs l0.

Levers l8 and I9 are pivotally mounted at points 20 and 2| respectivelyso that they may pivot from an upright position to a position below thechains II and I2. Levers I8 and I9 have slots 22 and 23 which arecircular in shape with centres at the points 20 and 2 I respectively.Links 24, which are pivotally connected to each lever below the points20 and 2|, connect to interlocking rods 26 and 21 through bell cranks25. The rod 26 operated by the lever l8 passes through a bushing 28 inthe frame member B5 to engage the lever I9 in its slot 23 and, in asimilar manner, the rod 2'! operated by a lever I9 passes through abushing 29 to engage the slot 22 in the lever l8. A spring 30 connectseach lever l8 and I9 to the frame members l5 urging them into uprightposition.

In operation, a log carried in front of a pair of transversely aligneddogs (for example log I1) almost simultaneously strikes the levers l8and I9 pivoting them forward and causing the bell cranks 25 to withdrawthe interlocking rods 26 and 21 from engagement in the slots 22 and 23.Both levers are then free to pivot forward to a position below thechains II and i2, and the log I! is free to be propelled forward in thedirection of conveyance. However, when a log becomes located on theconveyor in the slanting position of the log l6, shown in Figures 1 and8, its forward end engages only the lever I 9 causing it to pivotforward and withdraw the interlocking rod 21 from the slot 22 in thelever l8. Since the lever down the skidway formed by the lever I9,coming.

to rest on the chain 12 in front of a dog l which is in transversealignment with the dog propelling the other end of the log 16. The log16 is then carried forward crosswise of the conveyor and strikes bothlevers substantially at the same time causing them to act in the mannerdescribed in connection with log l1. 1

What I claim as my invention is: 4

1. For use with a conveyor of the horizontal endless-carrier type havingmembers projecting from the endless carrier in two spaced-apartlongitudinal rows with the projecting members aligned transversely inpairs adapted to engage and propel an elongated approximately straightarticle along the conveyor while extending transversely thereof,apparatus for automatically correcting the position of an article whichis positioned on the conveyor in front of one projecting member of onepair and the projecting member of the next pair on the opposite side ofthe endless carrier by clearing the article from the projecting memberof the leading pair to bring the article in front of both projectingmembers of the other pair comprising, a pair of transversely alignedlevers pivotally mounted one beside each of said rows of projectingmembers, resilient means normally holding said levers in uprightposition in the path of articles propelled by the projecting members butadapted to allow said levers to pivot to positions below the projectingmembers when under the weight of an article, means in connection witheach lever adapted to lock the other lever after a given pivotalmovement in the direction of travel of the conveyor in a position inwhich said other "lever constitutes a skidway for clearing the articlefrom a projecting member of the row beside said other lever, and meansfor releasing the locking means acting on one lever when the other leveris pivoted through said given degree.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the meansin connection witheach lever adapted to lock the other lever includes a pair of rods eachoperated by one of said levers, each of said levers having a slot belowits pivotal axis in which'an end of the rod operated by the other ofsaid levers is adapted-to be inserted to limit the pivoting of thatlever to that necessary to provide the skidway for clearing the articlefrom a projecting member of the row beside that lever when said otherlever is in its upright position.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the conveyor is of thedouble chain type for conveying logs, and the projecting members arelogpropelling dogs inserted in each chain.

JAMES M. PATON.

No references cited.

